1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to puppets and manipulative articulated toy figures, and more particularly to an improved articulated toy figure having rings on the limbs to receive the fingers of a human hand for reproducing lifelike human or animal movement while being operated by the fingers.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Leeper, U.S. Pat. No. 2,155,665 discloses a small hollow puppet construction whereby a plurality of the puppets may be mounted separately on different fingers.
Noble et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,301 discloses a puppet-like figurine having a rigid upper body or torso and a removable elastic fabric lower body forming hollow legs. The fabric includes a garment open at the back for insertion of two of the child's fingers into the hollow legs. An elastic loop is secured on the flat back of the figure between the shoulders to hold at least one finger directly against the back of the upper body to support the torso upright.
Enison, U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,495 discloses a hand puppet having a hollow head with a moveable lower jaw and a hollow flexible costume attached to the head. A pull ring and anchor ring are attached at one end of a cable and the other end of the cable is connected to pivotally move the jaw.
Goldfarb, U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,276 discloses a pellet filled doll which may be used as a doll or hand puppet. The body has a compartment for receiving the hand of the user.
Rushton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,283 discloses a hand puppet shaped like a stuffed toy and a body cavity for receiving the hand and five fingers of the operator for manipulation by five fingers.
Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,715 discloses a puppet having in combination an elongated support pole, an eye part attached at one end of the pole, a glove having five fingers including at least a pair of fingers straddling the pole for up and down and rotation of the pole and a flexible mouth part mounted at the ends of the five fingers and for retaining the pole.
Baiera, U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,065 discloses a glove-like hand puppet in the figure of an animal having a body cavity and finger receiving cavities whereby the hand and fingers of the operator are inserted into the glove and the puppet manipulated in simulation of body carrying movement.
A line of soft action figures was introduced in 1985 by Coleco Industries, Inc. The figures are relatively large flying or crawling insect forms having a furry glove-like enclosure built into the figure which allows the child to control the movement of the figure. The limbs or appendages of the figures do not use rings which receive the fingers of the operator.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by an improved manipulative articulated toy figure which may be selectively used as an ordinary articulated figure or operated by the fingers of a human hand for reproducing lifelike human or animal movement. The figure has a central body portion and a plurality of limbs movably mounted thereto. A ring is attached to certain ones of the limbs to extend outwardly therefrom and each receives a human finger for independent manipulation of the limbs to control the movements of the articulated figure.